inXile receives $4.5 million for new open world VR RPG

inXile Entertainment, a developer known for games like Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera, has secured a big multi-million dollar investment to help fund a new ambitious project.

inXile's $4.5 million investment from games publisher Gumi Inc. will be used to make a new open-world survival VR RPG, possibly pushing the current fledgling market closer to a HMD-selling "killer app." Not much is known about the project, but inXile is currently developing The Bard's Tale IV as well as Wasteland 3, and will leverage the investment from Gumi to help build a foundation for the new RPG. The developer states that the VR game will "launch on all platforms," likely meaning it'll see release on PlayStation VR, the HTC Vive, and Oculus' slow-selling Rift headset.

"Gumi shares my passion for creating deeper virtual reality games and I'm fortunate to have a partner to work with in this spectacular new medium. We've had incredible feedback from our first game, The Mage's Tale, and we want to continue to build on our experience and reputation. I've always been fascinated by the social dynamics of the open world survival genre and experiencing that in virtual reality will create powerful and terrifying moments. We'll also be bringing our storytelling and RPG experience to the table to help enrich the genre," said Brian Fargo, CEO, inXile Entertainment.

Along with the investment, Gumi Inc. CEO Hironao Kunimitsu also joins inXile Entertainment's board.

"Brian is a legend in the games industry, and inXile Entertainment has a track record for creating ground-breaking PC and console games that feel AAA in scope and size using their creativity, ingenuity, and ambition. Over the past year, they've brought in very talented and experienced members as they shift their strategy from single player to multiplayer online games as a service, and we look forward to seeing how they approach the space," said Gumi Inc. CEO Hironao Kunimitsu

"Since breaking into VR, we believe they've already delivered the best VR RPG game to date with The Mage's Tale. We're honored to become a strategic investor and partner with inXile, and delighted for the opportunity to work together on the next VR title with such a masterfully skilled team."